Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-06-29

tnat oil falling through space after he had
sunk below the surface of the water. BE
appeared to stop in his flight through space
which probably was when he touched the
bottom Of the creek, then he started in his
fall again and became unconscious.
McMeen Escapes the Gallo ws.
The State Pardon Board last Wedues-
day commuted the sentence of wife poison.
er William Josiah McMeen to imprison-
ment for life. Only in few exceptional
cases was the action of the board approved.
The community believe with the Jury that
McMeen is guilty of taking the life of his
wife.
| The reasons that governed the action of
the Pardon Board did not accompany the
announcement of the change of the death
sentence TO life imprisonment, but be their
reasons what they may they cannot change
the mind of the public, for the public be-
lieves in the correctness of the reasons up-
on which the jury founded its verdict.
The bitterest denunciations are hurled At
the pardon board for setting aside the YER
dict Of the jury, after 1t had passed the cru
cial test of an argument for new, trial, in
which jurymen were charged with weak
t, , mindedness, and a lot Of other defects that
at the time were considered trivial, and af-
ter having passed the crucial test of the
Supreme Court, which found nothing wrong
in the verdict of the jury, or the record Of
Judge Barnetts Court. The bitterest de-
nunciations are hurled ct the McMeen law
yers for the so called professional right and
glory behind which they attempt to shield
themselves for having done their utmost
to set aside the verdict OF the jury and the
decisions of the Flower and upper court.
They are charged by the public with hav-
ing sent agents to Harrisburg to argue,
persuade and influence Meade into sworn
statement that he had made q mistake in
his hrst testimony rs to the hour when he
first met McMeen, at Harrisburg on the
9Th of March 1885, the day on which Mrs.
acMeen died from the poison that her hus-
band sent her the day previous. A bitter
denuncistion is hurled at certain politicians
here in Juniata tor having exerted ring in
tuence sneakingly among unsuspectiug
people, and people who do not believe in
capital punishment, by petition to the
board OF p3r1ons. and it is alleged that
some Of the ring called at certain places at
Harrisburg and by sly representations in
troduced, distorted statements, where they
would poison the mind of certain members
| N I'd ha nf ths
verdict OF the jury. The utterance against
such interference is bitter and many are
the men that are pledged to vote against
and work against any and every one thus
concerned in what the public call can out
rage against justice.'' The theory of taxi
ing poison by accident is pooh, pooed by
the public, for the poison that Mrs. Nc
Meen took, had not laid about the house
| ss rat poison, but was what her husband
sent her the day before from Patterson
BY mail. The theory of suicide that has
| been advocated Is considered of no account
for the public instinctiveIy believe that
suic ide while in the act OF self destruction
never cries out My God Ny Lord help
! help as did Mrs. McMeen when she discov-
cred that a death dealing dose bad been
prepared for her, and of which she had in
nocentiy and conhdingly partaken, believ-
! ing it WAS medicine for her goo1. No one
was found to approve the action of the pardon
board except the hired lawyers of McMern
and his relatives. The indignant public
stepped away beyond the testimony in the
case and freely expressed preference Tor
a clear pardon, so that the Commonwealth
could have introduced a prosecution for
the death of young woman who died
suddenly with symptoms of strychnia poi
son.
Conjecture has been rife, that perhaps
E. D. Parker, who was lawyer in chief in
| the prosecution against McMeen, was as
sassinated by some evil one, In the interest
of the defense, for the undertakers allege
tha. there was an indentation across the
back part of Mr. Parker's head, deep enough
in which to lay two fingers.
1t is alleged that the murderer's hab-
il under certain circumstances OF inter-
course with women was to recommend the
taking Of certain powders TO relieve them
of ply sical troubles.
Lynching was openly advocated, and in
to such miserable contempt had the action
of the board placed the case that no objec-
tion was urged to the advocacy of the
breaking in of the Jail ami the hanging Of
McMeen to the limb of q tree. While the
citizens of this community disspprove Of
Lynch methods Of redressing a wrong, few
il any, in this case would have interposed a
word of objection If the Jail had been bat
tered down to get him out, and as for exc
cutioners, there were women who were
ready to volunteer TO place the rope around
his neck If the men would s'string him up"
Men who never knowingly violate . law,
: men Of large and valuable property inter.
ests would have stood quietly by and seen
him hung. Fortunately, the last straw wal
. wanting on the sscamePs back" to crust
ont all respect for the decision of the par
don board and arouse the indignant COM
munity into an excited multitude to breaA
open the Jail and hang the man whom they
r believe deliberately planned to take the life
, of his wife, by arranging with her, TO sent
medicine for bodily ailment, but instead o
Z sending her medicine, sent her deadly poi
son TO kill her.
Rev. L. Y. Hayes, of the Presbyterian
church, iu addressing ChildreDs' meeting
on Sabbath morning, dwelt upon the i'm
portance Of children and young people pur
1 suing correct habits Of life as necessary 4
f, lead to useful and honorable results, and Il
= illustrate what miserable results are produ
4 ced by leading bad lives, be instanced I'M
o case of the Young man in Jail in whose be
g half, he declared the ciemsncy Of the Stat'
pardon board is moral outrage against so
cie;y.
s On Saturday, Sunday, and on Monda
g there WAS talk Of organizing deputation
N citizens to go to Harrisburg. and urge Gov
: ernor Beaver to disapprove Of the clemsnc.
, act of the pardon board in the McMee
I case. 1t will thus be seen that the people
of this community have been wonderful,
aroused against the pardon board. The an
norncement of the murder of Mrs. Nc Nee
in Ma rcb, 1856, did not produce as pro
IS found sensation as the announcement, las
week, that the death sentence had bee'
= changed BY the pardon board to life impris
onment.
70 A startling sight greeted citizens of tn